By the Firelight
by KatanaNoNeko
Summary: Sitting by the firelight, Natsu and Lucy finally have a conversation about where they are with each other and decide once and for all where they stand. Requested by anonymous on tumblr.


**Anonymously requested by someone on tumblr! I'm not too sure about how this one turned out, but I hope you guys like it!**

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Natsu yawned as he sat by the flickering flames of the campfire their team had set up before heading to bed. He'd tossed and turned in the tent he shared with Happy and Gray for a while, but he'd been frustrating the two and been kicked out. He just couldn't help it that sleep refused to take him. He'd been too busy thinking.

Things were so complicated with a certain someone lately. They were teetering on the edge of something more, but neither of them had taken the first step off. Something was holding them back. Natsu knew it could be absolutely amazing, the best choice he would ever make in his entire life, but it was still _different. _They'd still _change._

And as fearless as he was? That still scared him.

"Natsu?" A voice called as they approached.

_Well speak of the devil… _Natsu's heart quickened as he looked to Lucy, the owner of said voice, standing beside his sitting form.

"What are you doing up?" she asked him softly, ignoring the fact that she herself was up. They both knew why they were up, though. Neither of them could fall asleep.

Natsu tore his gaze away from her and back to the shallow flames. "Figured someone should keep watch," he finally gave up as a lame excuse.

"I'll keep you company, then," Lucy remarked as she sat down beside him. Their hands gently brushed, their fingers barely touching as they sat next to each other. Lucy hesitated before pulling her hand away and settling it in her lap. Natsu's clenched into a fist, internally cursing at himself for not grasping her hand.

They were silent for a while, each wanting to say something and neither knowing how to start. It seemed to Natsu they would end up avoiding the topic of _them_ for yet another night.

"Natsu, when…" Lucy finally began, "When are we going to do something about _this_?"

"Hm?" Natsu looked up at her suddenly, but her eyes were firmly staring down towards her fidgeting fingers. He was wrong. Apparently they _were_ finally going to broach this topic.

"Everyone's been saying it for years. There's obviously _something _between us." Natsu looked back to the fire and remained silent, not sure how to respond.

Lucy sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest. "I just haven't… I'm just scared by what we could _lose. _By what could _change._"

"I…" Natsu turned to gaze at her again. "I was actually just thinking the same thing."

"We've been tiptoeing this line between friends and something more for so long," Lucy remarked, again hitting the mark on what Natsu's thoughts had consisted of before she'd come out. "We need to decide something. We can't keep being confused on where we are. Either we stay firmly on one side, we remain strictly friends, or we…" Lucy trailed off.

"I love you," Natsu suddenly blurted out, making Lucy gasp and look back up to him. "And I'm not scared to say that because I know you love me, too."

Lucy nodded before looking back down at the ground. "I do. I love you. I love you so much and I can't imagine ever being with anyone else."

"Then I'm not sure what the problem is. Let's cross that line, Luce," he suggested with a nervous gulp. "Because I can't imagine being with someone that isn't you, either."

"I just… What if we mess this up and then we can't go back to even being friends? If we cross that line, we can't cross back. I'm still so scared by that prospect, Natsu. I can't lose you."

Natsu sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, I get that. That thought is what's been stopping me."

"I mean, I've never had a relationship like this before," she offered.

"And you think I have?" he reminded her, getting a small chuckle from the girl. "I mean, yeah, it's really nerve-wracking to think about _us_, you know, _being a couple. _I can't help but worry that maybe I'm not good enough, that I'll mess up, that I won't treat you right, but we could be so ridiculously happy, too. Pure happiness beyond what I ever imagined I'd have." Natsu carefully took one of her hands from where she had it wrapped around her knees. "I mean, look at Juvia and Gray. Look at Gajeel and Levy. I've known two of those guys since I was seven or eight and I've never seen them happier than they are now that they've found love and decided to take that step."

Lucy felt him squeeze her hand as she thought about their friends' new relationships. What he said was true. They were all, as he'd said, 'ridiculously happy'. She wanted that. Craved that.

And she could have that with Natsu, she just had to put her anxieties aside.

"We'll still change," she told him.

"No we won't. We'll still be Natsu and Lucy," he insisted.

Lucy shook her head. "Yes we will. We _will _change. But it'll be for the better."

Well, Natsu couldn't argue with that.

Lucy finally uncurled from her position, moving to sit in front of Natsu, taking both his hands in hers. Sitting there, outlined by the firelight, Natsu thought she looked breathtakingly beautiful.

"I love you, Lucy," he blurted out again. "I _need_ you."

"I need you, too," she finally replied. "But I'm still… what ifthis _doesn't_ work out and we end up getting in a big fight and then just can't stand each other anymore?"

Natsu was still and silent for a few moments, unsure how to approach her question. Finally, he reached up and cupped her cheeks, then looked into her eyes, desiring her permission.

Lucy knew if they shared this kiss, there'd be no turning back. Kissing would definitely be crossing that line. Natsu was leaving it up to her. This moment determined where their relationship would stand from now on.

And as soon as they felt their lips touch each other's for the first time, Lucy knew she'd made the right decision.

Her hands moved to his scarf, clenching it in her hands and pulling his body closer to hers. She felt Natsu rumble with a groan, one of his hands moving from her cheek to her hair, pulling on the strands. Lucy gave a whimper at the feeling as their lips separated again, Natsu's breath flowing over her lips still.

Her eyes fluttered open to find his deep hazel.

"Lucy, I think we care too much about each other to ever let that happen. I certainly won't. I'm not saying we won't argue, but I'll never let a stupid fight get in the way of loving you," he confessed softly and then kissed her again. "And I love you too much to let you go just because I'm scared."

"It's stupid to hold back because I'm fearful of something that is so unlikely to even happen… Especially when I know how wonderful this - we - can be…"

"It's not stupid, Luce. I was scared of that, too. But I know that whatever happens, we'll never let each other _lose _each other."

Lucy nodded, stealing another kiss, already finding herself addicted to his lips against hers.

"Soft…" he whispered.

"Hm?"

"Your lips, they're so soft… And so sweet…" Natsu kissed her in between his comments. "And I love how they feel against mine…"

Lucy laughed, glad to know she wasn't the only one.

"I can't believe I almost didn't let this happen…" she whispered.

Natsu chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body against his, her head leaning against his shoulder. Lucy didn't refrain from leaving short pecks against his neck, making Natsu shudder. "I can't believe I make a habit out of running headfirst into danger, but a _relationship _scares the shit outta me."

Lucy giggled again. "So we're doing this? We're officially moving into a relationship? Boyfriend and girlfriend? No longer just friends?"

Natsu nodded, moving to press yet another kiss to her cheek. "Definitely. No turning back. We're a couple of idiots in love now."

Lucy smiled. "I think we were already idiots in love. Now we're just finally acknowledging it."

"Wanna head back to your tent? I'll stay and keep watching out."

"No, I wanna stay with you," she told him, snuggling further against his body.

Natsu chuckled and squeezed her in his arms, pressing another kiss against the top of her head. They were silent for a while, just enjoying each other's company in their finally official relationship, but Lucy eventually succumbed to sleep, lulled by his heartbeat, snoring lightly as she rested against his chest. Natsu laughed lightly and squeezed her again, and then closed his eyes to go to dreamland himself, so happy to have Lucy in his arms and to finally be able to call her his girlfriend and his love.

The next morning, their teammates were surprised to find Natsu and Lucy missing from their tents, but would soon find them cuddling against each other, next to the smoking fire pit, and they smiled, realizing the two had decided after so long to take the next step.

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**Thank you for reading!**


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